Summer Improvements Make the George Washington University Campus More Comfortable

Summers at the George Washington University are a good time for making improvements on campus. Apart from routine scheduled maintenance such as upgrades to air conditioning, there are special renovations to residence halls, classrooms, and other facilities. According to Assistant Vice President for Campus Development Adam Aaronson, this summer has been true to the rule.

"Every summer is a busy time at GW," Aaronson said. "We are always looking for ways to enhance the overall campus experience for the university community."

Students returning to campus this fall will find a new "wellness suite" on the lower level of Lerner Health and Wellness Center, where users can go to recover and relax after they work out. They will be able to enjoy massage chairs and infrared saunas.

The recovery zone aims to more holistically address wellness in all its dimensions, extending beyond a student's actual workout.

The massage chairs are located on the lower level near the locker rooms. Walk-in use is permitted if no one has signed up to use the equipment on DSERec (used by students to sign up for fitness classes). A couch outfitted with handheld massagers is located near the chairs. Two infrared saunas, which reach temperatures up to 149 degrees Fahrenheit, have also been installed nearby.

New seating and flooring have been installed in the Jack Morton Auditorium, modernizing the premier showplace in the School of Media and Public Affairs.

On the third floor of Rome Hall, a new classroom accommodating up to 90 people will be a center for active learning, with students not necessarily sitting in rows as in a lecture setting, but at tables to do group work. The space will provide a more collaborative class environment, with professors free to move around the room.

In Lisner Auditorium, a new elevator and restroom facilities are being installed to make the lower level more accessible, with completion likely in October.

Nearby, GW's planned updates to University Yard fencing also recently began. The new fencing aims to enhance the historic nature of this popular communal area of campus and create more cohesion across Foggy Bottom, as the design mirrors that of Kogan Plaza.

The project began in early July with the removal of the previous fence. Contractors are now repairing and modifying the concrete footings that will support the new fence, which is expected to be installed by early August. Once the installation is complete, landscaping improvements will follow. During this work, University Yard remains open and accessible to the community.

Mitchell Hall will reopen this fall with laundry facilities on every floor, so students won't have to visit the basement to wash their clothes. It will also have a renovated lobby, among other improvements. The lobby at Potomac Hall was also renovated this summer. Other residence halls, such as Thurston, Guthridge and Francis Scott Key, were renovated in previous summers.

Routine scheduled maintenance of building infrastructure includes continuing work on the HVAC system at Gelman Library and the Academic Center. Roof replacements were made to Ross Hall and to Lerner Health and Wellness Center.

In other projects, new wooden benches made of teak replaced the metal benches in Kogan Plaza, outside the University Student Center and in University Yard. "This will improve student comfort," Aaronson said. "We are also adding artificial turf to an area of the third-floor patio of the University Student Center."

"So many Division for Safety and Operations teams work diligently over the summer to enhance GW's spaces, ensuring they best support living, learning, and working," Vice President for Safety and Operations Baxter Goodly said. "We hope all members of our community will enjoy these updates."